Haiti (MNN) — A raging fire engulfed the Cap-Haïtien Cluny Market on January 24, tearing through the heart of a community already under strain.
What made the market fire worse was the lack of a proper fire service to minimize the damage. Families stood by helplessly as flames consumed their only means of survival.
Photo courtesy of FHWL
Roseline DeHart with For Haiti With Love says, “For many families, that market was their only source of income. You know, the mother sold vegetables, rice — anything you can think of.” It helped put food on the table and pay for kids’ school.
Many had poured savings into buying goods to sell, and some are now debtors with no chance of paying it back.
“Some of them had borrowed the money from the bank to do the business that they had,” DeHart says.
In all, 30 storage units and hundreds of small shops were destroyed. In a place where people were already struggling, it’s been devastating.
One big question remains: “Nobody knows what started it,” says DeHart.
For Cap-Haïtien residents, this loss piles onto the many challenges Haiti already faces. But DeHart says their ministry’s plan goes beyond just emergency relief. “We want to help rebuild the market so families can regain stability and dignity again,” she explains.
Yet, the tragedy shook some people’s faith in the goodness of God. “They don’t want to hear about God. They don’t want to hear about Jesus,” says DeHart.
This is where practical help carries a deeper message: “We want to help them and show them Jesus’ love and help them to recover,” says DeHart.
Photo courtesy of FHWL
The purpose is to show them that in the middle of the crisis, God is still there in the middle of the storm.
Pray for peace in Cap-Haïtien and the restored faith of those who lost their only source of livelihood at the Cluny Market.
“With people partnering with us,” adds DeHart, “we can help the ladies rebuild their shops, sell again, and help their families.”
Visit For Haiti With Love to learn more about how you can pray and partner financially to help Cap-Haïtien workers restore their market livelihoods.
Photo courtesy of For Haiti With Love.
